


Garden of Paradise

by kyasuu



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Gender-Neutral Main Character, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Original Character(s), Original Pokemon Region, POV Second Person, but i use they pronouns so anyone can insert though they are their own character, eden can be whatever your preferred gender is, more tags will be added if necessary., oh yeah copious amounts of fgo references. thats important, there are no fakemon in this one, this is based on an rp with my friend group please enjoy!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-14
Updated: 2020-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:42:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23137876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kyasuu/pseuds/kyasuu
Summary: Recently eighteen Eden sets off on their journey to conquer the Paradisus region's Amaryllis League, leaving Kanto with nothing but their backpack and trusty Bulbasaur. However, not all is well within the region of nature, as something hurt and wronged and much too familiar lurks in the shadows of Paradisus, preparing to take its revenge against Gaea herself.Current arc: The Beginning of a JourneyFinding themself in an unfamiliar place far away from home, Eden sets out on their journey at the same time as other Trainers their age, including the warmhearted Tyler, anxious Seraphina, bold and brash Michira, unlucky Eiri, and aloof Jackson. Little do they know, the further they step into this beautiful, nature-based region, the more the secret darkness pulls them in.
Relationships: Eden & Bulbasaur





	1. The First Step

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, guys! This is actually a collaboration between myself and five other people, though I am the one spearheading the actual writing and plot for this fic. They helped build the world and create the characters you see here, and thus I cannot go without crediting them at all. Their presence will be felt extremely strongly through this work due to their characters featuring heavily.
> 
> As noted in the tag, this fic will contain a lot of in-jokes and references, especially to Fate/Grand Order, as all of the writers involved are FGO players. They aren't too major, but do let us know if you get our jokes.
> 
> Thank you for choosing to pick up this fic. Comments are always highly appreciated, and we all hope you enjoy what we're writing!

Your name is Eden. You recently turned eighteen years old, and today your ferry stops at Paradisus, the region of natural beauty and the site of the Amaryllis League. 

Standing on deck as the ferry slowly pulls into the dock of Lotus Port, you can’t help the thrill of excitement that goes through you. You’re out here on your own, your parents back home in Kanto’s Viridian City, with nothing but a young Bulbasaur and the clothes on your back on your side. It’s a daunting prospect, but at the same time, it’s… freeing. 

“Attention passengers,” sounds the intercom, and you look away from the beautiful port city before you. “We’ve arrived at Lotus Port. Please retrieve your belongings and prepare to unboard the ferry!”

“Come on, buddy,” you tell your Bulbasaur, nudging him gently with your foot. “Let’s get off before we’re shipped back to Kanto.” Bulbasaur gets to his stubby feet and stretches before trotting after you without complaint and the two of you move towards the exit of the ferry. 

Once you’re back on solid ground again, you too stretch luxuriously, taking a moment to reorient yourself before you look around at the small port city. As expected for a location right by the sea, it smells like the sea, but a pleasant and light aroma of flowers also fills the air. You don’t let yourself take too long to look around, though, reaching into your shorts pocket to procure your train ticket to New Vaso Town, Professor Solomon Redwood’s place of residence.

Professor Redwood is pretty famous even outside of Paradisus, known for the study of the relationship between humans and Pokémon. More importantly, you’re lucky enough to be receiving a PokéDEX from him. Helping him keep a log of your own adventures in return is definitely worth it.

You make your way to the Lotus Port Train Station and board without much trouble after giving the conductor your ticket. After finding a seat, you and Bulbsaur settle down for the rest of the ride.

* * *

Stepping outside, you look around the outside of New Vaso Train Station, looking for Professor Redwood. He had told you that he’d be here, waiting for you as well as several other people your age to give PokéDEXes out to, thus why you’re meeting up at the train station instead of his laboratory.

Professor Redwood isn’t too hard to find. Despite his fame, New Vaso apparently isn’t visited that often because the station is largely empty, and you easily pick out the tall salmon pink-haired man standing while holding a large sign with several names written on it. Your own name is among them, and you note the others:  _ Jackson, Eiri, Seraphina, Michira _ .

There’s a boy about your height standing by Professor Redwood’s side with a Shinx perched on his head, along with a shockingly tall girl standing around awkwardly. Both have white hair, though they don’t really look related. You watch as the boy puts the Shinx on the floor and tells it something as you approach.

“Hi, I’m Eden,” you greet, nodding once with a polite smile. “You’re Professor Redwood, right?”

The Professor beams warmly at you and holds out his free hand. “That I am! It’s good to meet you, Eden. This is my aide, Tyler, and this here is Seraphina! Both of them are going to be partaking on this journey with you.” 

You take his hand and shake it once. Redwood seems really friendly, unlike the two other kids, who seem really shy, though not rude. “Er… nice to meet you guys too,” you say, inclining your head to both of them. “This is Bulbasaur.” Bulbasaur gives a cheerful keen at the sound of his name being called. The Shinx’s tail wags a little as if in greeting.

“Nice to meet you too, Eden,” Tyler replies, and he seems sincere enough. Seraphina, on the other hand, looks an anxious mess, and she makes a noise that could probably pass as  _ nice to meet you _ . Seeing as she seems on the verge of crying, you don’t really press her too much for it and just smile at her while pretending you don’t notice her bag is squirming.

The awkward silence that falls over all of you is broken by a Flygon flying out of the station with the sound of a girl’s voice shouting, “ _ Riku! _ Get down here  _ now _ !” following after. You turn in the direction of the sound, spotting a short bright pink haired girl glaring up at a Flygon perched on the roof with what’s presumably the girl’s bag in its claws. It ignores her, simply lying its head on the tiles, and you wince a little in sympathy. That Pokémon definitely doesn’t belong to that girl, and she must not have the badges required for it to respect her enough to actually listen to her.

“Is… is that Michira?” Seraphina sounds distressed. “Oh no… I hope she’s going to be okay with a Pokémon like that…” 

“ _ Riku _ \--Oh, hey, Prof, hey Tyler…” The girl, Michira presumably, stops short when she spots Eden and Seraphina, pausing for a long moment, and you realize that these three actually know each other. You’re probably the odd one out among the Trainers getting a PokéDEX. “I definitely don’t know  _ you _ …” She points at you here before her finger moves to point at Seraphina. “But…  _ no _ . Are you  _ Phi _ ?”

At the disbelief in Michira’s tone, Seraphina looks like she wants a hole to open up under her and swallow her whole. “Yes…” she says weakly. “H-hi, Michira…”

Michira gives a short laugh, seemingly forgetting about the Flygon still on the roof for a moment. “No way! You got so tall! And you dyed your hair! Wow!” With every remark, Seraphina looks like she wants to disappear even more. Thankfully for Seraphina’s sake, Michira turns her attention to you. “Then you must be the last guy. I’m Michira.”

“Eden. Nice to meet you,” you reply awkwardly. “This is Bulbasaur.”

“Cool, cool. And Tyler and Shinx, then…” Michira grins. “Well, you haven’t changed at all. Maybe a little taller…”

“Hey, I think I got a  _ lot _ taller,” Tyler complains half-heartedly, but he doesn’t seem too offended, even laughing a little as his Shinx trots over to Michira to sniff at her in a friendly manner.

“Well, now that Michira’s here, I think we’ve just got Eiri and… oh, there he is!” Redwood waves at a sullen looking boy walking towards them, and through the process of elimination, you figure this boy must be Jackson, who you also note has white hair, though his eyes are pinkish red, unlike Tyler’s warm blue and Seraphina’s orangey gold. “Hey, over here!”

Something like annoyance crosses the boy’s face before disappearing under a mask of apathy again as he reaches them, and you notice the fur around his neck is actually a Pokémon, not part of his dark gray jacket. “Yo,” he mutters, looking around all of you suspiciously but especially you, which you figure is fair.

“Eden,” you tell him, just to be polite. He just nods once in response, hanging around the back.

“Well, aren’t you grumpy now,” Michira greets, giving a cheery wave. “Looks like you didn’t miss me all that much. I’m a little hurt!”

“Deal with your Flygon before dealing with me,” Jackson retorts but there’s no heat behind his words, and Michira rolls her eyes.

“Riku is just a rude bitch,” Michira complains loudly, glaring up at the Dragon Pokémon still napping on the roof. “You hear that, pal? Overgrown featherless biped!” You’re pretty sure that’s not going to help matters at all, but you keep your mouth shut, figuring it’s really none of your business.

“Alright, now, let’s calm down a little,” Redwood placates. “We still have to wait for Eiri… she should’ve been the first here, but it seems her train’s running late.”

“Or she overslept,” Jackson points out bluntly, though he doesn’t seem to mean it in an offensive manner. “She’s awful at being on time.”

“Now, don’t say that,” Redwood chides, though he doesn’t really have much ground to stand on in this case, given this Eiri actually is pretty late. “She always was rather unlucky, the poor girl.”

“Black Cat Luck, huh,” Tyler remarks a little fondly. “She had the  _ worst _ luck.”

“Speak of the devil,” Michira pipes up, pointing at the entrance of the train station, where another short girl is racing towards them with an Absol at her side. “There she is!”

“I’m sorry I’m  _ late _ !” wails the girl, Eiri probably, her long blonde ponytail streaming out behind her as she runs towards them. Just as she’s about to reach them, she trips over her heels, but to your surprise, she  _ rolls _ with the fall, minimizing the damage she would’ve taken.

“I’m sorry,” she blubbers uselessly as she sits up, magenta eyes wet with unshed tears. “I didn’t wanna be late… my train got delayed… Mom couldn’t find my ticket…” Her Absol knocks its head against her cheek gently, and she sniffles noisily as she gets to her feet, dusting herself off. “Thanks, Sugar…”

If everything she’d said was true, she really does live up to the  _ Black Cat Luck _ nickname, and you can’t help but feel a little bad for her. “Are you okay?” Redwood asks, concerned, and Eiri nods so vigorously you’re briefly concerned her head might fall off. 

“I’m fine! Just fine! Everything’s okay!” She tugs uselessly at her hair as she looks around at everyone before her gaze darts between you and Seraphina. You give a short wave. “You’re… Eden? Then…” She stares at Seraphina for a long moment, who just squirms. “How come you got hot  _ and _ tall?! That’s not fair!”

Seraphina flushes and again looks like she just wants to disappear, and Eiri herself turns red when she realizes what she’d said as Michira bursts out laughing. Evidently taking pity on the poor girls, Redwood claps his hands to get everyone’s attention. “Alright, everyone, we shouldn’t delay things even further. Let’s go to the lab to pick up your PokéDEXes.” 

That gets everyone’s attention, and you nod, unable to contain your eagerness. Bulbasaur gives an excited noise, picking up on your excitement as you follow the Professor to his laboratory, and even Riku follows in the air lazily when Redwood asks it to. As you make the walk, you look around New Vaso Town, taking in the small town around you.

“Wow, the place hasn’t changed much, has it?” Michira comments, looking about with as much gusto as you are, shading her eyes with a hand. “Everything’s super new and shiny, though--hey! Look at that!”

Your gaze follows the direction she’s pointing in. It’s the entrance to what seems to be the forest, sealed off by yellow tape and  _ Keep Out _ signs, and you’re undeniably curious about what’s in there. “Where’s that?” you ask. The kids around you seem to recognize it even if you don’t.

“That’s the Banned Forest,” Tyler answers, though he doesn’t seem too concerned about it, and when you look around you, not even Seraphina seems all that scared of the place, though it’s a little hard to tell with her, since she seems scared of everything. “It’s mostly full of  _ really _ strong Pokémon, and we have a couple urban legends about the place, like how time seems to slow down inside, or that there’s a big spooky ghost ready to pounce on you. It’s all just folklore, though.”

“Wow, the ban still hasn’t been lifted?” Michira sounds amused by that. “I thought it’d be gone, but some things really never change, huh?”

“You kids sneaked in there all the time,” Redwood sighs with exasperation, though his tone of voice is still rather fond. “Gave everyone quite the scare every time. It’s a miracle none of you were hurt!”

“It’s just a bunch of grass Pokémon,” Eiri mutters, stumbling along behind you with her heels. It’s sort of obvious that she’s not used to them at all, and given that her Absol, Sugar apparently, is keeping a sharp eye on her, she probably trips often. “I don’t see what’s so scary about it, seriously.”

“High level grass Pokémon, Eiri,” Redwood reminds her as they reach the entrance to the Pokémon Laboratory, the Banned Forest disappearing from sight behind the building. “Your parents were scared half to death when you were attacked, you know.”

“I  _ know _ ,” Eiri complains, sounding annoyed. “I never hear the end of it!  _ Zinnia  _ never gets the  _ no hanging outside after eight PM  _ treatment! I mean, she never leaves her room anyway, but  _ still _ .”

Redwood exhales slowly but probably recognizes that he’s fighting a losing battle as he opens the door to the laboratory, holding it open for everyone to enter. You file in sans Michira, who stays outside briefly to yell at her Flygon to stay, taking in the white lab walls and the technology all around you with wonder. The laboratory assistants only look up briefly from whatever their working on to give all of you a short acknowledgement before going back to their jobs.

Behind you, you hear a muttered curse, and you spot Jackson stumbling before righting himself again. “Looks like you’re as messy as ever, Prof,” he says, though somehow that comes out more affectionate than irritated, picking up the papers he’d nearly slipped on and handing it to Redwood.

“My bad, my bad,” Redwood laughs sheepishly, taking the pages and setting them on a nearby table. “Thanks, Jackson. Come on, kids, this way. This is where I keep the good stuff!” He gestures towards the door at the very back of the large room, and you all walk after him. You keep a careful eye on Bulbasaur, making sure he doesn’t step on anything important.

As soon as Redwood opens the door, a small Pokémon races over to greet him, bumping its shiny head against his leg affectionately. Redwood makes a cooing noise, bending down to give it a pat on the head. “Ah, this girl here is Mash. She’s a Shieldon! We revived her pretty recently. Mash, say hello!”

The Shieldon looks shyly at all of you and gives a friendly noise, and Redwood pats her on the head again. “Alright, run along now, Mash. I have some business with these nice trainers, so I’ll play with you later.”

Mash hesitates briefly before trotting off and Redwood straightens up, dusting himself off. “Alright, here are the PokéDEXes!” Redwood announces, stepping aside to reveal several red and black devices on the table. You’ve definitely heard of these things before, only handed out to a few select trainers, and, despite the reality presented right in front of you, still can’t believe you’re being given one.

“Are… are you sure it’s okay for  _ me  _ to take one?” Seraphina asks anxiously, echoing your own thoughts aloud. “I might break it, or…”

“ _ You _ are so careful, that PokéDEX is going to be in mint condition ten years from now,” Michira snorts, patting Seraphina on the shoulder as she moves past her to take one first, green eyes sparkling with excitement. “Don’t worry so much, Phi.”

“And have a little more trust in my genius, okay?” Redwood laughs, smiling a little. “These things could probably survive being crushed by a Wailord. I’d actually be impressed if you could break them.”

You notice the dangerous gleam in Michira’s eyes and her toothy grin. Evidently, Redwood picks up on it too because he adds hastily, “Not that I’m encouraging you to do that! But if you do break it, come back here and I’ll do my best to fix it up for you, and Tyler’s a smart enough kid that he probably picked up a bit from me while working here. Now, rest assured and take one.”

“No, no, I’m not that good,” Tyler flusters, wringing his hands a little, but he’s smiling a little in a pleased fashion. “I have full confidence in Professor Redwood’s work, though, so we probably won’t have to find out, anyway.”

“Thanks, Prof,” Jackson says, taking one, but despite his nonchalant tone, he holds the device in his hands with a careful reverence. 

“Thank you… I’m going to try not to break it,” Eiri mutters, taking one and promptly letting it slip out of her hands. It makes a loud clattering noise as it falls to the ground and Eiri makes a suppressed screaming noise. Sugar seems to sigh, dipping down to pick it up for its Trainer and Eiri takes the DEX with shaking hands, inspecting it to make sure it really hasn’t taken any damage, her face bright red.

For her sake, you decide not to comment and move to take a PokéDEX for yourself. Once it’s in your hands, you carefully run your fingers over the smooth surface, studying it and opening it to take a look at the screen on the inside. “Woah,” you can’t help but say as the screen flickers on, revealing a variety of different options for you to choose from. “This is some seriously high-tech stuff, Professor Redwood.”

“I try.” Redwood smiles, a pleased blush high on his cheeks as he scratches the back of his head. “I hope it serves you all well. Send me feedback if you want any improvements.”

The last two PokéDEXes are taken by Tyler and Seraphina, who look at each other for a long moment as if to try and say,  _ no, you first _ and  _ it’s okay, you first _ before eventually just taking them at the same time, and you can’t help but stifle a laugh at that, still carefully holding onto your own PokéDEX.

“Really, thank you so much, Professor,” Seraphina says, sounding like she’s about to cry. “This is… really amazing, and more than I deserve… thank you.”

“Aww, don’t worry so much, Phi,” Redwood reassures her, reaching over to pat her on the shoulder. “You’re still one of the kids, even if you’re taller than me now.” That  _ actually _ makes Seraphina sniffle, and Redwood’s face turns into that of abject terror for a moment. “Ah--that’s not a bad thing at all!”

“So… sorry,” Seraphina sniffles, rubbing at her eyes, “I’m not upset, I promise… just… thank you, Professor. I really do appreciate it.”

Redwood smiles warmly at her, giving her a short hug. “Anything for you kids, and that’ll always include you, Phi.” Releasing her, Redwood waves towards the door. “Come on, I’ll show you all to your rooms, since it’s much too late to leave now.”

“Professor, it’s three PM,” Eiri complains half-heartedly, but she nevertheless follows after him eagerly. You trail after the rest of them, feeling a bit like an outsider, but you don’t find that you mind so much. You’ve gotten such a great opportunity. What’s there to be upset about?

Bulbasaur looks up at you questioningly and you just give him a pat on the head. “Let’s go, buddy. Can’t keep them waiting, can we?” you say, and pick up your pace a little to follow them up to the second floor.

* * *

After Redwood shows you to your guest rooms and lets you have the rest of the day to yourself, you decide it wouldn’t be a bad idea to explore New Vaso for yourself, so you set your stuff down and make to head out.

“Oh, are you going to look around New Vaso?”

You turn at the sound of Tyler’s voice. He offers you a smile, which you return as politely as you can. “Yeah! I’m from Kanto, so I thought I’d get a good look at Paradisus while I’m here, right?”

“Wow, Kanto. That’s really far, isn’t it?” Tyler seems genuinely amazed instead of just looking for something to say. You get the feeling he’s just a sincere person in general. “I’ve seen Bulbasaur in person before, but they’re darker in color than yours. I guess it varies region from region, huh?” When Bulbasaur hears his name, he looks at Tyler with confusion, and Tyler just gives him a wave.

“I didn’t know about that,” you say, a little curious now. You look at the Shinx that’s currently sitting comfortably on Tyler’s head, wondering if there’s some regional variance between it and wherever its home region is. Shinx aren’t from Kanto, so you’ve never actually seen one in person before.

“Ah, I didn’t quite realize it before until I actually saw yours. I’ve heard about regional variants, like from Alola and Galar, but… oh, am I holding you up?” Tyler laughs sheepishly, face coloring a little. “I’m sorry! This sort of thing just interests me. I guess that’s why Professor Redwood took me in.”

“No, it’s fine, I don’t mind,” you assure him. “If you’re not busy you could show me around town, since you’ve been here the longest, right?”

“I could definitely do that, if you’re okay with me…” When you nod encouragingly, he seems to brighten up a bit. “Come on this way, then. There isn’t too much to see, since New Vaso’s still really small, but there’s some interesting stuff.”

You follow Tyler outside, noting the dirt path and the way the town seems to mix between artificial and natural, plants growing up the sides of buildings unchecked, wildflowers everywhere you walk, but not in a way that seems lazy or desolate. “It’s really pretty out here,” you say, breathing in the fresh air, the scent of greenery filling your nose. “You guys really do value nature a lot.”

“It’s what provides for us, after all,” Tyler says, nodding as he leads you down the path that passes by the Banned Forest again. “See, we’re not really scared of the Banned Forest. Of course it’s dangerous, which is why we try to keep the kids out, but it’s only because they’re disrupting the Pokémon’s natural habitat.”

He points down into the Forest, turning and giving a slightly mischevious grin. “There’s a really pretty pond in there. We call it Magikarp Pond, since that’s all that really swims in there, but Jackson swears up and down he saw a Gyarados in there before. We used to visit all the time when we were kids, since it’s nice to splash around in.”

Tyler makes a turn down the path and you distantly hear very loud music coming from one of the houses. “That’s Old Man Aliez’s place,” Tyler tells you when you give him a questioning look. “He lost his wife a while ago. She was a really nice lady, and he leaves the music on in her memory.”

“I see…” You pay no mind to the offensive lyrics as you eventually pass by the house and move on to what you assume is the town center, given the activity. There are a couple stores around, including a PokéMart, but to your confusion, you don’t see a Pokémon Center. “Does New Vaso not have a Pokémon Center?”

“A what?” Tyler cocks his head to the side, sounding confused.

“That’s where you heal your Pokémon, I thought,” you say, brow furrowing. “What do Trainers do when their Pokémon are injured?”

“Oh!” Understanding dawns on Tyler’s face and he points to a large building. “See that? That’s an inn! They have a hospital inside and a place to stay the night for free. They get it when you’re a League contender, so it’s a popular place for Trainers to rest up.” 

“Oh, I get it. In Kanto, we just have Pokémon Centers,” you explain. It makes sense to you, though. “They heal your Pokémon for free, but I don’t know about a place to stay.”

Tyler takes you around the small town center, pointing out various stores and interesting tidbits about New Vaso until the sun is dipping below the horizon, and eventually the two of you find yourselves back at the Pokémon Laboratory. You’re carrying Bulbasaur at this point, the Pokémon having gotten tired.

“Thanks for showing me around,” you tell him sincerely. “I had a good time.”

“No, it’s no problem!” Tyler smiles at you. “Well, I’m going to go get dinner now, and then I’m back to pakcing my things. If there’s anything you need, don’t be afraid to ask! Professor Redwood would be okay with helping you too, I’m sure, if you can find him.”

“I really appreciate it,” you reply, thanking him again. “Well… see you tomorrow, then.”

Tyler nods slightly so he doesn’t disturb the Shinx resting on his head. “Really, it wasn’t any trouble. See you tomorrow, Eden!” He gives a little wave as he sets off, and you head back to your room. With a new PokéDEX and possibly at least one new friend on your side, you think that this journey is already going much better than you could’ve ever hoped for.


	2. The Road Less Traveled By

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of the journey is a bit more eventful than anticipated.

In the morning, you find yourself stretching as you prepare to embark on your journey for real after bidding Professor Redwood goodbye. It seems that Jackson, Eiri, Michira, and, surprisingly,  _ Seraphina  _ have already set off on their own.

“I’m not exactly ready yet,” Tyler admits with an awkward smile, scratching his cheek. “Go on ahead on your own, okay? I’ll catch up to you in no time, so count on that! Shinx and I will be right there before you know it.”

You raise a loosely clenched fist and grin at him. “I’m counting on it,” you tell him as he knocks his own fist against yours. “Don’t take too long, or else I’ll be waiting for you at the Amaryllis League.”

That’s not really a possibility, seeing as the Amaryllis League is a seasonal event where Trainers who’ve collected the eight badges of Paradisus can challenge the Elite Four, and then the Champion for the title, but Tyler laughs a little at it anyway.

With that, you set off onto Route 1, the long connecting path between New Vaso Town and Eiryn Town, Tyler sending you off with a wave. It seems that he wants to start his journey separately from you, too, which you figure makes sense, and seeing as he apparently hasn’t left New Vaso in years, if ever, it makes sense that he’d want some more time to say goodbye.

Bulbasaur seems to thrive in the leafy environment around you, which you’re glad for. While Kanto is hardly unclean, it’s nowhere near as… wild as Paradisus is, and you can sort of see the charm in it.

You flip open your PokéDEX, selecting the map function so you know where you’re going. Despite having so many functions, the device is extremely light and easy to carry, a testament to Redwood’s skill. Tapping on the route you’re on on the map, the PokéDEX brings up information about the route. 

According to the PokéDEX, it’s a couple hours of walking between New Vaso and Eiryn, and though the path closest to New Vaso is grassy, it eventually becomes more and more sparse, as Eiryn Town seems to be a mining town with the beginnings of a railroad right outside, though the plans for it were canceled.

You put the PokéDEX away, satisfied with the information you’ve gotten, and stretch luxuriously, looking around you at the various wild Pokémon moving about, some staring suspiciously at you before disappearing back into the bushes. You’re hardly the only Trainer in the area either. A couple of kids are running about in the grass with a Mightyena keeping an eye on them, playing some sort of game together, and you can see some Trainers engaging in battles with each other.

“Wanna check it out?” you ask Bulbasaur, figuring he’d want to take a look around here as well. You also want to see what Pokémon this region has to offer, too, and when Bulbasaur gives an enthusiastic nod, you move in to the taller grass by the road. 

Keeping a careful eye on where you step, you push through the grass that easily comes up past your shoulders. This isn’t a new experience for you, not exactly, since you’ve done battle with Bulbasaur before, but this is  _ Paradisus _ , so far away from home. The novelty hasn’t worn off just yet.

You hear rapid rustling, and you immediately jump back. “Bulbasaur!” you call sharply and he immediately backs up with you to give the wild Pokémon some space as it bursts through the grass, screeching and pecking at a place your face had only been moments prior.

It’s a familiar-looking bird Pokémon: a Spearow, which you recognize due to it being extremely common in Kanto. You’ve seen it and its evolution around Kanto, but this one looks a little different. Its eyes and claws seem a lot bigger, and the red wings you’re more familiar with are closer to brown, much to your curiosity--but you also know you can’t afford to battle it.

Spearow caws angrily at you, scratching at the ground in preparation of charging at Bulbasaur. “Growl!” you command, knowing you’ve already lost an opportunity to run. If it’s going to hit, you may as well weaken it first.

Bulbasaur does as he’s told, growling loudly enough that the Spearow hesitates in its attack before charging at him anyway with an angry squawk. The Grass Pokémon manages to take the hit relatively well, only skidding back a few feet. His HP doesn’t seem to have taken too much of a hit, but you’re not going to risk it.

“Use Vine Whip to throw it!” you call. You’re not looking to knock the Spearow out but buy the two of you enough time to get out, and Bulbasaur seems to get it, his two vines immediately snaking out to grab the Spearow. It’s close enough that the Spearow can’t hop out of the way in time, especially with its wings unable to let it fly, and throws the Spearow deeper into the tall grass.

“Alright, let’s run!” Bulbasaur doesn’t need another reminder and immediately darts towards the way you had come. Thankfully, the Spearow doesn’t come after you as the two of you break out of the tall grass.

You exchange a sheepish look with Bulbasaur. “Maybe we should stick to the main road,” you sigh, and he nods. Bending down, you rub Bulbasaur’s head gently, checking where the Spearow had hit him. “You okay, bud?” He nods again, so you figure it’s fine waiting a bit before you bust out one of the potions you’d brought from home.

Pulling out your PokéDEX, you let out a long breath. If you’re going to have this much trouble with a wild Pokémon, what’s it going to be like actually participating in a Trainer battle, even if the wild Pokémon in question was Flying-type? Sure, you’ve gone after Caterpie and Pikachu in the outskirts of Viridian Forest with Bulbasaur before, but you imagine it’ll be a lot different against a Trainer. 

You open up the PokéDEX again, checking the list of Pokémon you’ve encountered inside of it. Bulbasaur’s data is already stored safely, but you look for Spearow. If you remember correctly, there’s a note-taking capability on it, and you want to include your own observations about how different it looks from what you’re used to. “That sure was a weird looking Spearow, wasn’t it?” you say aloud to Bulbasaur. “Tyler said something about Pokémon looking different from region to region, but it’s really weird to see it in person, huh?”

Bulbasaur makes a noise that could be agreement or something else entirely and you just smile fondly as you finish logging in your notes. Maybe you can ask Tyler about it later.

You continue walking along the route, looking over whenever you see a Pokémon pop out of the grass before disappearing. There’s a couple Caterpie and you  _ think _ a Sentret, but you don’t notice much otherwise. What you  _ do _ notice, however, is the way the path beneath your feet seems to become more of a dirt path, with the grass becoming more and more sparse as you walk.

Up ahead, there seems to be a bit of a commotion, a group of Trainers seemingly conglomerating around the base of… a tree? but giving it a wide berth. You frown when you recognize the back of Jackson’s head, as well as the Vulpix curled around his neck.

“Jackson--” you begin and the boy in question seems to jump a foot in the air, whirling around to glare at you. Recognizing that you startled him, you hold your hands up in surrender, smiling awkwardly, not wanting to get punched. “Sorry, sorry. What’s up?”

Jackson seems to force himself to relax before pointing up the tree. “Take a look for yourself,” he says, and you frown, gaze following his finger--

“Help me,” wails Eiri, clutching onto a tree branch for dear life.

“Oh, Arceus,” you say.

“I  _ know _ . I fucking  _ know _ .” Jackson sounds utterly done.

You move past the small crowd of Trainers, hoping to get a better look at what’s going on, when the tree shakes and Eiri gives another high pitched wail of terror. “Poor girl’s gotten a horde of Aron pretty angry at her,” you hear some guy say. “Don’t know how we can help, though. I think someone ran to Eiryn to get help…”

“Jackson!” shrieks Eiri as soon as she sees you and Jackson, hugging the tree branch tightly. She looks on the verge of tears. “Get them away from me! Sugar’s useless against an Aron!”

“What the hell do you want  _ me _ to do about it?” Jackson sighs sullenly, exasperated, and you notice that the Trainers seem to be dispersing, now that there’s someone to help her. “What did you even  _ do _ ?”

That just makes Eiri actually burst into tears. “I tripped over one…” she sobs as the tree shakes again. None of the Aron seem to be actually interested in doing anything except the one still ramming its head against the tree Eiri is clinging to dear life in.

“Oh, Arceus… Eiri!”

You turn around at a familiar voice and spot Tyler racing towards you, Shinx keeping pace at his side, and he stops at your side to catch his breath. “Did something happen again?”

“Please just get rid of the Aron!” Eiri begs, whimpering when the tree shakes again. “All of your Pokémon at least do effective damage… Chase them off or something!”

You didn’t actually know that. You’ve never actually seen an Aron before, but from the look of it, it seems like it’s Steel type. Grass isn’t all that effective against Steel, to your knowledge.

“Ah, I don’t think we need to battle this time, though.” Tyler, now breathing at a normal pace, fumbles with his bag and procures a Berry, which he tosses at the Aron thudding its head against the tree. It knocks gently against it, not hard enough to do any damage--though to be fair, it  _ is _ Steel-type--but enough to garner its attention. 

The Aron turns its gaze to Tyler, blue eyes angry, but notices the Berry soon after. “Please forgive my friend,” Tyler says gently to the wild Pokémon. “She didn’t mean to offend you. Could you let her go, please?”

It moves to investigate the Berry instead of giving any indication that it had understood anything Tyler had said, but Tyler nevertheless lets out a breath of relief. The rest of the Aron seem to lose interest, moving off, and Eiri carefully slides down the other side of the tree as soon as the aggressive one walks away too.

“I never wanna do that again,” Eiri sniffles, wiping at her eyes before releasing Sugar to her side again. Apparently she’d withdrawn the Pokémon earlier. You’re more curious about how the hell she’d scaled the tree so fast, though it does seem that she’s abandoned her heels in favor of sneakers, at least. “I don’t have any Water Pokémon… but that’s okay. You’re all I need, Sugar.”

Sugar seems to sigh as its Trainer buries her snotty face in its fur but doesn’t move otherwise. It’s probably used to this behavior.

You refer to your PokéDEX, looking for Aron’s entry.  _ Steel-Rock _ , apparently, which clears a couple things up for you. “Are you okay?” you ask her.

“Fine, fine,” she mumbles. “This isn’t the first time, but usually I can deal with them on my own… these ones charged right at me, and I can’t dropkick a Pokémon that eats metal for breakfast…”

“It’s okay, Eiri,” Tyler comforts, patting her on the arm. “We’re almost at Eiryn Town, I think, so we shouldn’t run into too much trouble from here on out, especially if we decide to stick together.”

“Don’t jinx it,” Jackson mutters under his breath. You’re pretty sure you weren’t meant to hear that, but you agree with the sentiment.

* * *

Miraculously, the four of you make it to Eiryn Town without any other mishaps. According to your PokéDEX map, Eiryn is a mining town with an abandoned railroad leading into it, as well as the hollowed out remains of an old airplane that never took off. The most important thing about the town, though, is definitely the  _ mine _ , which doubles as the gym. Seeing as you’re here to challenge the Amaryllis League, you’ll need to get the first badge from the leader as soon as possible.

“Well, let’s split up here,” Jackson says as soon as you enter town. “See you later.” Without waiting for a response, he walks off. None of you stop him, seeing as he seems to prefer being alone. 

“Are you going to be okay?” you ask Eiri. She scowls, crossing her arms over her chest.

“I’ll be just fine!” She looks like she’s pouting, which makes it really hard for you to take her seriously. “ _ I’m _ just going to keep moving until I reach the first place with a Contest Hall! Battles are boring.”

“Contest Hall?” Tyler blinks, looking surprised. “Is that your goal, now? A Coordinator?”

Eiri hunches her shoulders defensively. “Yeah, so what about it? I’m gonna be the best at it, mark my words!”

“No, there’s nothing wrong with that! I was just surprised, that’s all, since your mom and dad were Ace Trainers and all.” Tyler beams at her. “I’m sure you can do it!” Under the force of Tyler’s sincerity, Eiri’s defensive stance crumbles and she loosens up a bit.

“Y-yeah, you get it,” she mutters. “Any… anyway! I’m going! Bye!” Without waiting for a response, she turns on her heel and marches off, Sugar turning to give an apologetic nod once before bounding after its Trainer. 

Once again, it’s just you and Tyler. “What about you?” you ask. “I’m here to challenge the Amaryllis League, but what about you?”

“I… haven’t really decided yet,” Tyler confesses sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “I think Shinx and I might give the League a shot, but right now I’m taking it pretty easy, since I’m not much of a Trainer, more of a researcher.”

“Hey, whatever you decide is fine,” you tell him with a reassuring smile. “You’ll do a great job.”

Tyler blushes. “Thanks, Eden! You too. Good luck with the gym challenge.” 

“Good luck with figuring out what you wanna do,” you reply, raising a fist again to knock it against Tyler’s. “I’ll see you later, then.”

“Yeah, see you later!” Tyler waves goodbye before heading off in the direction of the hotel, if you’re reading the sign correctly. You, on the other hand, decide to go to the entrance of the mine, where you know the gym is.

Despite the grunginess of the town, it’s rather pleasant, likely due to the sheer number of people. It’s very lively, and several townsfolk wave at you in a friendly manner. You wave back to be polite, taking in the wares they’re selling, most of which seem to be mining products or food. 

As you walk towards the mine, keeping an eye on Bulbasaur to make sure he doesn’t go off to find something to eat, you start to notice several flyers pasted around. A little curious, you approach one, reading what seems to be a recruitment poster.

_ Join Team Prism today! With every technological step, we shine our rainbow of hope even farther into the future! _

“I wouldn’t bother with those posters, dearie,” says an old lady who notices you peering at the flyer. You look over at her in askance, cocking your head to the side a little. “Oh my, are you from out of the region? Team Prism has been quite a nuisance in Paradisus, always spouting nonsense about technology replacing nature…”

“That sounds like a problem,” you agree politely, letting go of the flyer. With the culture of Paradisus, what Team Prism is preaching certainly could sound like heresy. “And yes, I’m from Kanto.”

“Kanto! My, aren’t you far from home?” The old lady peers at your Bulbasaur. “I see! That makes quite a lot of sense, now. Well, if you’ll take a word of advice from a batty old woman, do stay away from those Team Prism folk, wouldn’t you? I hear they get up to some rather  _ heinous _ things. Just the other day, there was an explosion in Wisteria City! Everyone seems to say it’s the work of those rascals.”

“I’ll keep your words in mind, miss.”

“What a polite child!” The old lady chuckles and holds out a bottle of some of the juice she’s selling. “Here, have this as a token of my appreciation for letting me ramble a little. It’s Berry Juice made from Oran Berries. I’m certain your Bulbasaur will enjoy it.”

“Oh… thank you very much.” You accept the Oran Juice, putting it away in your bag for later, and smile at her. “I really appreciate it.”

“It’s no problem, dearie,” says the old lady. “Stay safe, now.”

It’s not too long before you actually reach the mine, but just as you reach it, you see Michira storming out, looking utterly furious and a whole mess. Her Flygon is absent, but you can guess what had happened, given the dust and dirt covering her clothes and hair.

“Hey--” you begin, raising a hand in greeting. Michira’s head snaps towards you, still wearing a thunderous expression and the rest of your words die in your throat. Evidently she realizes her temper is flaring because she closes her eyes, exhaling slowly.

“Yo, Eden,” she says, smiling, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. You glance meaningfully at the PokéBall attached to her waist, and she doesn’t miss it. “Riku’s giving me a couple problems, but that’s normal, don’t worry! He’s always like that. That just means I need to figure out a different way to beat the gym.”

“Good luck then, I guess,” you tell her, wondering how anyone can be so upbeat at all times. “What’s it like down there, anyway?”

“Hey, was that a short joke?” she huffs, but she doesn’t sound actually upset about it. Some of her real mischief comes back in her green eyes and she grins toothily. “I’m not telling! You can have fun finding out on your own!” she tells you cheerfully. “Well, I gotta shower and figure out how to beat this stupid gym. Ciao!”

She darts off before you can even reply, leaving you standing in front of the mine with just your Bulbasaur. You sigh, but figure she can sort out her own issues. When you look back over to the entrance, there’s a girl about your height standing there now, peering into the darkness of the mine with a Buneary at her side. 

“Are you also a Trainer?” the girl asks with a thick Kalos accent, and you blink.

“Me?” you inquire, pointing to yourself. When she nods, you confirm. “Yeah, I am. You too, then?”

“Yes. I’m asking because I overheard you talking to the previous challenger.” The girl bends down to pick up her Buneary, affectionately rubbing it behind the ears. “It seems I’ll need some battle practice, if that girl couldn’t win. The leader here uses Rock-type Pokémon, after all.”

“That shouldn’t be too much to deal with for us, then,” you say, glancing at Bulbasaur, who makes an excited noise. “Though we still need some practice, I think.”

“Then…” the girl hesitates, fidgeting slightly. “If both of us need practice, do you think we could have a battle?” She smiles shyly.

That doesn’t sound like too bad of a proposal, and you exchange a glance with Bulbasaur. “Are you cool with that, bud?” you ask him, and he responds by eagerly bounding forward. You give the girl a thumbs up. “We’re ready whenever you are.”

“Then it’s settled!” The girl lets go of her Buneary, letting it spring forward, landing on the ground gracefully. “My name is Celeste.”

“I’m Eden,” you reply, grinning. “And you’re going down!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [rival theme blasts]

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Please feel free to let us know what your thoughts and opinions are on the fic!


End file.
